“Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.”—Lucille Ball

Do you love yourself—really and truly?
Or do you take yourself for granted, treating your own needs with less care and attention than you give to everyone else’s?
Loving yourself isn’t about being selfish, inconsiderate or ego-focused. When you truly love yourself, you nurture those aspects that are the best part of you—your gifts and abilities, your traits and standards—and make a committed effort to overcoming those habits and tendencies that cause harm to others or to yourself.
When you love yourself, you are acknowledging your worth and value, and then acting in a way that shows who you are and what you stand for.
And when someone in your life treats you in a way that conflicts with your self-estimation—he or she is abusive or mean or just plain hurtful—you put a safe distance between the two of you because you do love yourself.
Take some time to identify what qualities you possess that makes you “love-worthy.” Write them down, post them where you can see them every day and then tell yourself “I love you” each time the list catches your eye.
After all, if you don’t love yourself, how can you expect anyone else to love you?